1 of 1- Phil_F_NM
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- From: Mid-Atlantic region
- Registered: 16-4-2020
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Typewriter to the rescue
I recently started a new job with one of the larger medical providers here in Philly. The IT department is taking its time getting me access to very basic applications which i need to do my job, one of them being a licensed version of MS Word. They said I could use Office365 which would require me to upload documents to a cloud in order to work with them, but that's too close to a HIPAA violation, no matter how secure someone says cloud storage is.
We use a standard open-field template for clinical notes which I printed off a few copies per-patient, and set to creating a flow-chart so I could get these notes done before the end of the week.
On Wednesday I brought in my Olympia SF Deluxe, which is perfect for the office, but I found out that I may have a burr on one tooth of the escapement, as it catches and doesn't fully advance the carriage once in a while. It could just use a cleaning, I suppose.
Yesterday, I completed seven notes in about an hour and a half, but I was working through the technical issues with the machine. Today I'm bringing in my Facit TP1 and not messing around. I'll knock out all the weekly progress notes, get them filed and be good to go.
Maybe next week I'll have access to basic computer applications to be able to do my job.
Typewriters, for the win, this week!
- Laurenz van Gaalen
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
Nice story. Did you get comments or questions about bringing a typewriter to the office?
- Phil_F_NM
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
I actually spoke to my departmental director and mentioned typewriters being used within the scope of therapy for our patients (I'm a mental health clinician) and she was all for it. When it came to having to use a typewriter just to get my job done, the director was on the phone to IT immediately after she learned of the access problem, but she didn't take any issue with me using other tools I was comfortable with in order to do my job.
The Facit worked fantastically and really improved my workflow. It's such a beautifully working machine. The IT department finally fixed the issue at about 3:00pm this afternoon, after which I had to change up my whole system which took about half an hour. The ONLY convenient thing about using the computer word processing program is the ability to cut and paste a standardized block of text which described a group therapy directive; this had to be written in every note. Otherwise, it's just far more pleasant to sit at the typewriter and hammer actual ink onto paper.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
I can't think of anything more embarrassing for the IT department, nor a better way to make a point, than someone using an antiquated machine to fulfill their word processing needs.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Phil_F_NM
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
Uwe wrote:
I can't think of anything more embarrassing for the IT department, nor a better way to make a point, than someone using an antiquated machine to fulfill their word processing needs.
I actually told them "I brought in a manual typewriter from 1959 in order to do my job until this gets resolved." The guy on the other side sounded confused and somewhat dismayed that I made his job irrelevant by bringing my own anachronism of basic office work. After that, the service request was elevated to a higher priority.
The Olympia SF Deluxe will probably stay there, locked up and ready to serve when the next computer problem rears its head.
Back when I was in the Navy, we had a photo on the bulkhead of our weather office which read "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS" and underneath was pictured a slide rule.
Phil Forrest
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
Along those lines, I would still instruct everyone how to navigate using a sextant and paper charts (on water), and with a compass and maps (on land). Modern GPS navigation is great until the devices needed for them experience a power loss (dead batteries, power grid, EMP), or an electronics issue.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Lucas Dul
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Re: Typewriter to the rescue
Some of these older skills are still quite handy to have!
Typewriter Service Tech (and avid nerd)
